Environment & Energy

unhappycamper

(60,364 posts) Wed Aug 6, 2014, 06:47 AM Aug 2014

Oops: 'Massive Environmental Disaster' in Canada as Toxic Tailing Pond Floods Waterways

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/08/05/massive-environmental-disaster-canada-toxic-tailing-pond-floods-waterways

Water ban put in place as a tailing pond gives way and tens of millions of gallons of waste course through area rivers and lakes

'Massive Environmental Disaster' in Canada as Toxic Tailing Pond Floods Waterways
Deirdre Fulton, staff writer
Tuesday, August 05, 2014

A middle-of-the-night breach of the tailings pond for an open-pit copper and gold mine in British Columbia sent a massive volume of toxic waste into several nearby waterways on Monday, leading authorities to issue a water-use ban.

Slurry from Mount Polley Mine near Likely, B.C. breached the earthen dam around 3:45 am on Monday, with hundreds of millions of gallons — equivalent to 2,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, according to Canada's Global News — gushing into Quesnel Lake, Cariboo Creek, Hazeltine Creek and Polley Lake. An estimated 300 homes, plus visitors and campers, are affected by the ban on drinking and bathing in the area's water.

Chief Anne Louie of the Williams Lake Indian band told the National Post the breach was a “massive environmental disaster.”

With salmon runs currently making their way to their spawning grounds, “Our people are at the river side wondering if their vital food source is safe to eat,” said Garry John, aboriginal activist and member of the board of directors of the Council of Canadians, in a press release.

13 replies

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Oops: 'Massive Environmental Disaster' in Canada as Toxic Tailing Pond Floods Waterways (Original Post) unhappycamper Aug 2014 OP

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!! newfie11 Aug 2014 #1

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!! newfie11 Aug 2014 #2

human beings????!!!! heaven05 Aug 2014 #3

Real nice. Enthusiast Aug 2014 #4

As with most cancers, capitalism will ultimately kill its host. DeSwiss Aug 2014 #5

I don't post on FB often, but that graphic is going on my page. CrispyQ Aug 2014 #11

De nada. DeSwiss Aug 2014 #13

Really mtasselin Aug 2014 #6

Now, who could have ever seen that coming?????? mountain grammy Aug 2014 #7

no worries, the CEO will still get his bonus and the tax payers will clean up after him whereisjustice Aug 2014 #8

he should be drawn and quartered pscot Aug 2014 #10

Edit... My bad; reacted to the picture. /Edit... More short-sighted thinking from the oil industry. gtar100 Aug 2014 #9

This wasn't oil. OnlinePoker Aug 2014 #12

newfie11

(8,159 posts)

1. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Wed Aug 6, 2014, 06:51 AM

Aug 2014

What a disaster!!

This has got to STOP and hopefully before we kill off what's left!

newfie11

(8,159 posts)

2. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Wed Aug 6, 2014, 06:53 AM

Aug 2014

What a disaster!!

This has got to STOP and hopefully before we kill off what's left!

I wouldn't be eating that salmon. Arsenic used to be used in gold mining, don't know about now.

heaven05

(18,124 posts)

3. human beings????!!!!

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Wed Aug 6, 2014, 08:00 AM

Aug 2014

the earth will survive, I wonder if we will. geez

Enthusiast

(50,983 posts)

4. Real nice.

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Wed Aug 6, 2014, 08:15 AM

Aug 2014

This is just sickening.

DeSwiss

(27,137 posts)

5. As with most cancers, capitalism will ultimately kill its host.

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Wed Aug 6, 2014, 08:50 AM

Aug 2014

- It's in it's nature......

K&R

''Capitalism is the astounding belief that the wickedest of men will do the wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone.''

~John Maynard Keynes

CrispyQ

(36,487 posts)

11. I don't post on FB often, but that graphic is going on my page.

Reply to DeSwiss (Reply #5)

Wed Aug 6, 2014, 01:32 PM

Aug 2014

DeSwiss

(27,137 posts)

13. De nada.

Reply to CrispyQ (Reply #11)

Wed Aug 6, 2014, 01:40 PM

Aug 2014

mtasselin

(666 posts)

6. Really

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Wed Aug 6, 2014, 08:59 AM

Aug 2014

Does anyone really think corporations will do what is right for the environment, stupid question. Corporations care about only for thing and that is money they will sell the country that they formed in, they don't care money is all that matters or should I say greed. Capitalism is going to destroy itself in the long run, but with it will be the destruction of the planet.

mountain grammy

(26,638 posts)

7. Now, who could have ever seen that coming??????

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Wed Aug 6, 2014, 09:25 AM

Aug 2014

everyone.

whereisjustice

(2,941 posts)

8. no worries, the CEO will still get his bonus and the tax payers will clean up after him

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Wed Aug 6, 2014, 09:33 AM

Aug 2014

pscot

(21,024 posts)

10. he should be drawn and quartered

Reply to whereisjustice (Reply #8)

Wed Aug 6, 2014, 11:50 AM

Aug 2014

gtar100

(4,192 posts)

9. Edit... My bad; reacted to the picture. /Edit... More short-sighted thinking from the oil industry.

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Wed Aug 6, 2014, 09:46 AM

Aug 2014

Last edited Sat Aug 9, 2014, 05:09 PM - Edit history (1)

A pond is not a permanent solution to liquid waste. They are idiots who are destroying the very foundations of our existence. All those profits and probably not a dime in environmental restoration work. Next time you see a man in a nice suit with a nice car from money invested in oil, remember these pictures and you'll get an idea of how much you and I pay for his privileges. These "self-made men" are leaches of the worst type.

OnlinePoker

(5,724 posts)

12. This wasn't oil.

Reply to gtar100 (Reply #9)

Wed Aug 6, 2014, 01:39 PM

Aug 2014

It was mine tailings.

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